Display mechanism



R. M. CRAIG v DISPLAY MEGHANISM Filed OCt. l5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l el Wouw/13o 'April 7, 1931.

n n r Y r Z $525554@ Il all April 7, l931 l R. MJCRAIG 1,800,054

V DISPLAY MECHANISM Filed oct. 15, 1929 l sheets-sheet' 2 attente/1go April 7, 1931. l R. M. CRAIG 1,800,054

" DISPLAY MECHANISM Filed Oct. 15, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented pr. 7, 1931 PATENT OFFICE RICHARD 1I. CRAIG, 0F SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS DISPLAY MECHLNISH Application filed October 15, 1929. Serial No. 399,804.

This invention is an apparatus whereby an optical illusion will be produced to attract attention and, while the apparatus is intend ed primarily for use in the advertising lield,

it may be advantageously employed for demonstrations in a c ass room as an aid t'o instruction in geometry, physics and optics.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of lights are mounted upon a rotatable carrier which, in turn, is carried by an arm rotating about a fixed center of motion so that there is a planetary movement of the lights whereby an infinite variety of geometrical designs are produced. The lightcarrying arms are preferably rotated about a common center in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the member upon which they are mounted and at constantly varying speeds, the result being that a very great variety of designs appear and they attract and hold the attention of the observer so that the apparatus is admirably adapted for advertising. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth and defined.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation of a belt shifting mechanism,

Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating, in a general way, some of the desigis which are produced by the apparatus, an l Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of a modification.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, there is employed a base plate 1 which may be of any suitable durable material which will furnish a steady support for the parts mounted thereon. Se-

cured upon the base is a hollow frame or standard 2 having a bearing block 3 at its upper end, which bearing block has a reduced extension 4 on its front side. Rotatably mounted in and extending through the bearing block 3 and its extension 4 is a hollow shaft which is equipped at its rear end with a pulley 6 and a larger pulley 7, the latter being operatively connected by a belt 8 with a pulley 9 upon the drive shaft of an electric motor 10. The motor 10 is secured upon the base 1 at the rear of the frame 2 and the pulleys- 7 and 9 have such relative diameter that they constitute an effective speed-reducing gear. At an intermediate point in Lthe height of the hollow frame 2, a shaft 11 is journaled in the front and rear walls thereof and upon said shaft is secured an elongated cone pulley 12, while upon the rear extremity of the shaft is a pulley 13, operatively connected by a belt 14 with the pulley 6 on the hollow shaft 5, and a spur gear 15, meshing with a larger spur gear 16 on the rear end of a shaft 17 which is also journaled in thev front and rear walls of the frame 2 below the cone pulley 12, as shown in Fig. l. Below the shaft 17, a third shaft 18 is journaled in the front and rear walls of the hollow frame 2 and said shaft carries a cone pulley 19 which is ofthe same form as the pul ey 12 but reversed relative thereto, and about the cone pulleys is trained a belt 20, as shown in Fig. 1 and as will be understood. At the larger end of the cone 19, a disk or ring 21 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 18 and has an external diameter which causes its periphery to lie flush with the periphery of the cone pulley 19, the purpose of this loosely mounted member bein more full set forth hereinafter. On the ront end o the shaft 18 is secured a pulley 22 about which is trained a crossed belt 23, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The shaft 17 is constructed between the front and rear walls of the frame 2 with a sleeve or enlarged body fixed to the shaft and having a double spiral groove 24 formed in its circumference and extending from end to end thereof, the branches of the groove being connected adjacent the ends of the body by branches 25 which extend across the circumference parallel with the ends of the body so that an element traveling in the spiral grooves will be transferred from the spiral in one direction to the spiral running in the opposite direction and the direction of travel of said element, consequently, reversed. Secured in the frame adjacent I' and parallel with the shaft 17 is a guide rod 26 and .upon said rod is mounted a slide 27 which is cone 'pulleys as the slide travels along the rod 26 and the spirally grooved actuating body. Mounted in the slide at the side opposite the guiderod is a plug or dog 30 'wihich enters the groove `24, as clearly shown in Fi 3,.sothat as the shaft 17 and the gropved bo thereon rotate, the slide will be caused to travel longitudinally thereof.

'Secured upon the front Iend of Athe hollow shaft 5 is an arm 31 provided with a counterweight 32 at one end and 4formed at its opposite end with a bearing sleeve 33 in whichv is mounted a shaft 34 having a pulley 35 secured upon its rear end, said pully having a belt 36 trained thereove tatably mounted upon the extension 4 of the bearing block 3 is a double pulley 37 and in one groove of this double pulley the belt 36 runs while in the other groove the belt 23 is trained. A circular body 38 of insulation is I secured upon the front end of the shaft 34 and a conductor ring 39 is embedded in said body. A display member 40 is secured upon the front extremity of the shaft 34 .and securing nuts 41 are fitted upon the shaft in such manner that the insulated body 38 and the display member 40 will be held in spaced relation and the insulated body will bear against the front end of the bearing sleeve 33 so that endwise movement of the shaft 34 in the bearin sleeve will be prevented by said body and y the pulley 35. In the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the display member consists of five radial arms which4 may be integrally formed or otherwise rigidly connected together in proper angular spaced relation, and upony each of said arms is a lurality `of electric lamps 42, three lamps eing shown in the present instance. These lamps maybe of any size and preferably will be variously colored, although they may all be of the same color and the number of the lamps as well as the number and size of the arms upon which they are mount-ed may be varied at will.A The best effects are attained in the small'portable signs by using small 10-watt lamps, but in the larger apparatus intended for outdoor advertising purposes the ordinary bulbs ma be used. It may also be noted that, while prefer to usev electric lam s and the best effects are attained by sai means, the purposes of the apparatus may be served by employing phosphorescent or luminescentpaint and orming spots or otherjdesigns at intervals upon the radial arms.

The conductor ring 39 isin constant contact with a brush 43 Secured upon a block 44 of insulation which is carried by the front side of the arm 31 and from the said brush a cable 45 extends into the hollow shaft 5 and then through said shaft to an o ening 46 therein through which .it is carrie to be secured to a conductor ring 47 which is fixed and its return branch grounded upon the frame of the machine. From the conductor ring 39, wires 52 extend through the insulation 38 and then out to the several lamps 42 to activate the same, the return terminals of the several lamps being grounded upon the radial arms so' that there will be a grounded return for the circuit. If preferred, however, the several lamps may have return wires led into a cable extending through the shaft so as to make a metallic return.

In employing the apparatus for advertising purposes, a sign member 53 is supported in any convenient manner concentric with the main shaft 5 and the diameter of this sign member should be such that the circle sul defined by said member will approximately coincide with the outermost circle described by the design-forming elements as they are carried around the shaft 5 as a center. This sign member may be a painted transparency and is illustrated inthe drawings as a box having a glazed front 54 and containing a the guide rod 7, as shown in Fig. 3. This switch may be of any suitable form and is illustrated conventionally as comprising a xed member 57 and a resiliently movable member 58 arranged in the path of the slide 27 so that, when the slide is at the extreme limit of its movement toward the ri ht in Figs. 1 and 3, it will bear against sai movable switch member and close Athe same against the fixed member and complete the circuits so that the lamps 55 will be illuminated.

The operation will, it is thought, be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanyln drawings. When the motor is runping, t e shaft 5 will be rotated constantly 1n one direction and the arm 31 will, of

course, rotate in the same direction and at the same s eed. From the shaft 5 motion is 17 and the grooved controlling body therepulley 22 and belt 23 to the pulley 3 rom on will rotate at a relatively very low s so that the slide 27 will travel slowl end to end of the controlling body an thereby shift the belt 20 slowly from end to end of the cone pulleys. When the belt 20 is at the left hand end of the pulleys, the lower pulley 19 will be rotating at its maximum speed and as the belt travels toward the right the speed of said pulley will be gradually reduced. The rotation of the lower cone pulley and its shaft will be transmitted throu h th an from said pulley through the belt 36 and ulley 35 to the shaft 34 and the display mem ger so that the display member will be rotated in a direction contrary to the direction of rotation of the arm 3l while at the same time it is caused to travel in an orbital path having the shaft 5 as its center because the shaft 34 is mounted in the end of the arm 31. The display member will, therefore, be driven at a constantly varying speed and because the speed of rotation of the design-making elements, whether they be electric lamps, mirrors or spots of luminescent paint, is higher than the speed of vision, the observer will not be able to detect the separate lamps or other elements but will apparently see circles and ellipses defined by the lamps, that is to say, the paths of the respective lamps will appear to be lines of light instead of lamps located successively at various points. It is not possible to illustrate the various designs which are formed by the display member during its rotation but, considering any one lamp of said member, the designs made will approximate those shown in Figs. 4 to 8, the design appearing in Fig. 4 being formed when the display member is rotating at its highest speed and as its speed reduces the design will successively change to those shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, while at its lowest speed the display member will form concentric circles, as shown in Fig. 8. When the belt 20 has been shifted to the extreme right hand end or base of the cone 19, it will pass onto the loosely mounted ring 21 and no independent rotation will be imparted to the shaft 34 and the display member, this condition continuing while the dog 30 is' riding through the branch 25 of the double spiral groove. At this time the display member will rotate about the shaft 5 at the same speed as the arm 31 and will be describing concentric circles, indicated in Fi 8. When the slide reaches its position at t e extreme right, it will bear upon the switch 57, 58 and will energize the lamps 55 in the sign member so that the announcement on the sign will be visible and will a pear to be framed by the circles de scribe by the display member. When the slide reverses and starts on its forward travel, the belt 20 will be shifted from the ring 21 onto the cone 19 and the display member will' again form constantly changing designs.

In Fig. 9,1 have illustrated an arrangement by which the invention may be utilized to make a lar e display. The display member 59 is rotated about its own axis and about the axis of its carrier 60 in the same manner as the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and reviously described. Instead of electric am s 'upon the display member, however, I provi e mirrors 61 having the curvature of their surfaces carefully calculated and set at proper predetermined angles upon the display member. A large screen of any preferred type, indicated at 62, is provided in front of the display member and a spot-light 63 is placed in such position as to throw the rays Y therefrom onto the display member. The mirrors upon said member will, of course, refleet the light onto the screen and the various designs formed by the lights in the mirrors will be shown upon the screen. If a color wheel be interposed between the spotlight and the mirrors, an infinite varity of color combinations will be shown upon the screen together with the constantly varying designs.

I have stated that in the small portable ap paratus I prefer to employ 10-watt bulbs and that the bulbs may be colored if desired and that in the large outdoor signs the ordinary standard bulbs may be used. It may be noted also that the lamps need not be all continuously lighted and the designs may be further varied and the attractiveness of the apparatus enhanced and the seeming mystery of its operation deepened by causing some of the lamps to flash intermittently. This result may be accomplished by inserting the ordinary well known commercial liasher buttons in the bases of some of the lamps or by interposing switches in the conductors leading to or from the lamps; If white light bulbs, such as are employed in automobile headlights, are employed, the bulbs will give points of light and the figures of the several designs will be drawn in shar lines spaced widely apart. If ordinary hristmas trees ,lights of the cone-shaped type are used, the lines depicted in the several designs will be wider than those defined by the automobile bulbs and if the lamps be colored very beautiful effects will result. In usin colored bulbs, the weaker colors will be paced nearer the center of the display member. As larger globes are used, the bands of action or lines defined in the desi-gn become wider and when the lights are colored the intersecting lines in the designs produce tartan or plaid effects. If small neon tubes be used, the lines defined lll u of dots. This is due to the fact that the eon tubes operate only on alternating current and in actual fact are being constantly lighted and extinguished but when standing still this effect is not noticeable although when whirled it will give the appearance of dots, as stated. In very large signs each lamp may be replaced by a group of lamps which will further mystify as to the effects produced.

Having thusl described the invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising'a sign member, a carrier rotatably mounted concentric with the sign member, a displa member rotatably mounted in one end o 'the carrier and arranged in front of the sign member, means for rotating the carrier at a constant speed, means for rotating theA display member independently of the carrier at a constantly varying speed, and

' meansl for illuminating the sign member during the interval when the display member is rotatingl at its slowest speed.

2. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising asign member, a carrier rotatably mounted concentric with the sign member, a display member rotatably mounted in one end of the carrier and arrangedA in front of the sign member, means for rotating the carrier at a constant speed, means for rotating the dis- -play member in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the carrier andvat a constantly varying speed, means for maintaining the speed of rotation of the display member at its lowest degree during an interval to permit change in the progression of speeds of the display member, and means for illuminating the sign member during said interval.

3. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a main shaft, a carrier arm secured upon one end y'of the shaft, a display member rotatably mounted in one end of the carrier arm, means for rotating the main shaft, mean s drlven by the main shaft for rotating the display member at a constantly varying speed and including relatively reversed cone pulleys, a belt trained about said pulleys, a rotatable body having a double iral groove in its circumference extending rom end to end thereof, and a slide carrymg a dog engaged in said groove and having a forked portion engaging said belt.

4. Apparatus for the purpose setl forth comprising a supporting frame, a bearing block in the upper end of the frame having a reduced extension on its front side, a main shaft' journaled in and extending through said bearing block, a double pulley mounted on said extension, a carrier arm secured on the front end of said shaft, means for rotating the shaft at a constant s eed, a display member having a shaft rotata ly mounted in one end of the carrier arm, a pulley on the rear end of said shaft, a belt trained about said pulley and about one side of the double pulley, a cone pulley driven from the main shaft, a second cone pulleyr reversed relative to the first-mentioned cone pulley, 'a belt trained about said cone pulley, a transmission pulley connected with the second-mentioned cone pulley, and a crossed belt trained about said pulley and one side of the double pulley.

5. .Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprismg a support, a bearing block atthe upper end of the support, a main shaft journaled in and extending through said support, a carrier arm secured on the front end of said shaft means for rotating the shaft, aA

display member having a shaft jour naled in one end of thecarrier arm, a cone pulley driven by the main shaft, a second cone pulley reversed relative to the firstmentioned cone pulley, a loosely mounted ring immediately adjacent the larger end of the second-mentioned cone pulley, a belt trained about the cone pulleys, means driven from the main shaft for shifting the belt along the cone pulleys and periodically shifting it onto and from the loosely mounted ring, and means operatively connecting .the second-mentioned cone pulley with the pulley on the display member shaft whereby the display member will be rotated at a constantly varying speed in a direction opposite to the direction of the rotation of the carrier arm and at intervals will be at' rest with respect to the carrier arm. v

6. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a carrier vrotating at a constant' 

